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Oral arguments are taking forever. Supreme Court justices have had enough
The average argument lasted just under 90 minutes this term, and justices said the longer format can crowd out real questioning.
- Supreme Court justices are openly complaining that oral arguments have become too long and filled with "speechifying." Chief Justice John Roberts complained recently to a conference of judges and lawyers in Pennsylvania, vowing to "look into it" over the summer.
- Arguments averaged just under 90 minutes this term, up nearly 10 minutes from the term that began in 2020, when the court heard arguments remotely due to the pandemic. The shift stems from the post-pandemic return to seniority-based questioning.
- Liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson speak the most during arguments, averaging over six and eight minutes per case respectively. By contrast, none of their colleagues spoke for more than five minutes on average during the current term.
- Justice Samuel Alito piled on in Texas, stating he felt there was "too little asking real questions." Alito also expressed frustration with the current questioning regime, noting a colleague's right to surrebuttal while he lacks a chance to answer.
- Tonja Jacobi, a law professor at Emory University, warned the longer format may counterintuitively reduce transparency. She noted, "It's become a little less accessible," suggesting the lack of discipline in arguments can hinder the court's legitimacy.
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